


Alien Admiral Fucks First Officer

by PierceTheVeils



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Awkward Sexual Situations, Conspiracy Theories, Crack Treated Seriously, Discussions of the Law, Don't ask me why I wrote this, Drinking, F/M, Humor, I don't know, Language Kink, Legal Drama, Porn IS the plot, Porn Video, Sex Tapes, Structural Xenophobia, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:07:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25122901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PierceTheVeils/pseuds/PierceTheVeils
Summary: Faro and Thrawn's relationship is still new when it seemingly gets exposed in the worst possible way.
Relationships: Karyn Faro/Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo
Comments: 41
Kudos: 55





	1. Discovery

When Commodore Karyn Faro first agreed to an “extended arrangement” with her commander, maintaining secrecy had been her main concern. After the initial passion and joy of having her feelings reciprocated, she’d hit Grand Admiral Thrawn with the most serious pillow talk either of them had ever experienced. They’d approached the situation like any other strategic objective with the understanding that a single misstep could cost them both their careers. Said discussion took the better part of a night.

The final agreement resembled a legal contract more than a battle plan, much less anything romantic. In it were a lengthy list of rules most easily summarized by the following five points:

  1. No showing affection while on duty. Both parties agree to refrain from physical and verbal displays of the romantic or sexual variety for the duration of their shifts. Even were it not for the need to remain discreet, they are the two top officers of the _Chimaera_ and ought to set an example for their crew.



  1. Given that Faro had visited Thrawn in his personal quarters before their extended arrangement began, visitation to that area remains permissible during off hours. All evidence of a personal relationship is to be contained within that area. Should Faro wish to spend the night there, she will have to follow the appropriate procedure (outlined elsewhere). 



  1. Thrawn’s insistence that a people’s culture offers strategic insight and must be studied closely is the default cover story for them to view art collections, holodramas, concerts, and theater productions together. After all, what commander wouldn’t wish to pass on his knowledge to a promising subordinate? 



  1. Military objectives come before personal ones. To mutual relief, both parties agree that their ambitions exclude from their relationship many things, including but not limited to: marriage, procreation, personalized gifts, combined finances, and unique consideration on the battlefield (to the extent the last item can be consciously avoided). The only traditional obligation the two will maintain to each other as a sign of their relationship is sexual and romantic fidelity for so long as the relationship shall last.



  1. Under no condition may either individual disclose the nature of this extended arrangement to any third party. Any and all suspicions from others are to be met with convincing denial. Forcible attempts to expose the relationship, should they occur, are to be resisted at all due cost.




Coming up with these rules had been straightforward enough, but implementing them had taken a bit of adjustment. Far from a sweeping change, it was shocking how little this relationship altered the contours of Faro’s daily routine. Thrawn was so convincingly professional when she first approached him during her shift that she questioned her reality at first. Then evening would come around on a night when neither had to work late, both parties would leave their office, and Faro would ask Thrawn if she could walk with him on his way back to his quarters to discuss “a mutual concern”. 

The minute the door to Thrawn’s quarters closed, he became a different person. Less… measured. In private, he could speak openly, just as she so often asked to. Be they scathing rants or humorous asides, Thrawn learned he could trust Faro with his inner thoughts. In turn, Faro discovered that they both carried a fondness for observational humor and that Thrawn had an endearing laugh when he didn’t attempt to silence it. They could spend hours laughing together, comforted by the knowledge that no one else could hear them.

In those first weeks, however, Faro would always leave before the hour was late. Be it exhaustion or paranoia, she never spent the night in Thrawn’s bed. And though having sex together on their first night had been wonderful, physical intimacy only occasionally strayed beyond light kissing and soft embraces in the subsequent days. Both Faro and Thrawn had been touch starved for years when they began their relationship, him more so than her. Neither was ready to completely change their habits, even in the face of new opportunities.

Keep that in mind for later.

Now that two weeks had passed since agreeing to an extended arrangement, Faro was starting to tone down her anxieties. She’d been worried her fellow officers might question her about her changes in behavior, but so far, no one had. Best she could tell, no one had even noticed. No sidelong glares, no curious glances, no prying of any sort. It was amazing. Why hadn’t they done this months ago?

Faro was just asking herself as much when she stepped onto the bridge. She had no battle to direct, no mission to command. The whole thing was a routine checkup. So why was a group of junior officers watching her every move?

“As you were, Lieutenant, Ensigns.” To their credit, some of them did try to return to their duties. They sat down, certainly. But every time Faro glanced back at them, she caught the eyes of at least six men over and over again. Always the same group, most of them barely out of the academy.

She tried to ignore them, but something in their eyes ate at her. She was used to deference from junior officers, and the occasional fear was expected, but this wasn’t either of those things. In their eyes, she saw an array of emotions ranging from amusement to confusion to disgust. Try as she might to think of a reason, Faro had no idea what she’d done to receive such an assessment. Unless… no. No way. 

As Faro was finishing her rounds, she doubled back to where her gawkers were located. “Do we have a problem over here?”

Snorts. Coughs. Glances towards the floor. “No, sir.”

“I noticed you trying to catch my attention earlier.” Faro tried to be generous in her dealings with the young men. “Did you notice something unusual on the radar?”

“No, sir.”

“Is there something else you wish to tell me, then? Speak up, Lieutenant Carter.”

The tip of the lieutenant’s ears turned red. He failed to meet Faro’s eyes as he spoke. “It’s… I’m not sure what to call it, Commodore. One of the ship’s ensigns was browsing the holonet last night. He... may have found evidence of a security breach on the _Chimaera_. The nature of the matter is… most unusual.”

“Unusual? How so, Lieutenant?”

“I have not seen it for myself, Commodore. According to these men’s report, the um, the breach included security footage from the ship. Footage taken from the, um, the grand admiral’s quarters.”

It took all of Faro’s professionalism not to react to that statement. “I agree with your assessment then, Lieutenant. Such a thing would be most unusual. Mainly because no security cameras are stationed within anyone’s quarters, much less the grand admiral’s. Only the entrances to such places are monitored.”

“So it was a peeper who recorded it!” One of the ensigns let loose to his neighbor. The speaker chuckled, but his buddy gulped. Each went silent when they noticed Faro glaring at them.

Faro forced herself to exhale through her nose. Now was no time to let her paranoia run rampant. She couldn’t give anything away “This recording of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s quarters, should it exist, is a gross violation of his privacy. The implication that someone was able to install unauthorized surveillance there is alarming. I trust whichever ensign found this evidence has reported the crime to its proper channels?”

Now the lieutenant’s entire face was burning. “No, sir. The ensign who spoke to me is not the one who initially found the recording. That individual first shared his discovery with his friends here before one of them became concerned with the, um, the security implications.”

“An unknown party uploads footage claiming to originate from a private place on the _Chimaera_ and security concerns are not the first thing on everyone’s mind?” She cocked her head, refusing to show fear. “How is that so? Which ensign did you say found this supposed breach, Lieutenant?”

“I, um… I didn’t say, sir.”

“Then say it now. Who was it and why did they not see fit to report immediately?”

“...Can we conduct this conversation in your office, Commodore? For, um… for your sake?”

Her sake? That wasn’t a good sign. Faro had a dilemma on her hands. Either she acknowledged she had something to fear by obliging the lieutenant’s request, or he revealed what he knew here and now where a large section of the bridge could hear them. The longer she hesitated, the worse things would appear to the outside.

Hm. Better to take the known risk, she supposed. “Very well. Lieutenant Carter, bring the ensign who found this breach and the one who reported it to my office immediately. The rest of you may get back to work.” She turned on her heel before anyone had a chance to respond. It took conscious effort to keep her walking speed consistent.

Only when she reached her office did Faro dare look back. She sat down behind her desk and refused to watch anything but the door. Since the lieutenant didn’t arrive right away, she took her time alone to steel herself. Nerves would do nothing to aid her case.

On her third breath, the door slid open. Faro sat frozen as three men entered her office. “Lieutenant, Ensigns.”

All three saluted. Faro recognized one of the ensigns from her encounter on the bridge, but the other… she wasn’t sure their paths had ever crossed. He must work elsewhere on the ship. That explained why the lieutenant had not come right away. 

“Are these the ensigns I requested, Lieutenant Carter?”

“Yes, sir. Ensign Kydo is the one who found the recording I mentioned, and Ensign Patel is the one who reported it to me.” Ensign Patel was the one from the bridge. He was doing everything he could not to meet Faro’s eyes. Kydo, on the other hand, looked ready to burst out laughing at any moment.

Carter continued. “I am Ensign Patel’s direct supervisor. He made the appropriate decision coming to me. I fully intended to report the breach to the correct authorities as soon as possible. Then I encountered you on the bridge, and… well…”

Faro put up a hand, damming the flow of the lieutenant’s speech. “Thank you, Lieutenant Carter. I require nothing else from you. You may return to the bridge.”

Carter’s eyes widened. He was not prepared to leave his subordinate behind in this situation, but he understood he had no choice in the matter. “Yes, Commodore.”

Faro waited for the door to close before addressing the two men in front of her. “Ensign Kydo. Describe how you discovered this security breach. Lieutenant Carter tells me you were searching the holonet last night?”

“Yes... sir. I was letting loose after my shift and logged onto a… a holovid sharing site. I checked the trending page to see what was new and noticed, well,” his lips quirked, “a familiar face. The grand admiral.”

“And you,” Ensign Patel added, shuffling his feet. “Sir.”

Faro raised an eyebrow. “I was present in this recording?”

“Yessir,” Patel confirmed.

“Quite present,” Kydo said at the same time. “Viewers saw a _lot_ of you in that recording. A lot of Grand Admiral Thrawn, too.”

Faro had the worst feeling that she knew what the ensign meant, but she had to keep up the act. She’d promised Thrawn she would. “On what holonet platform did you encounter this breach, Ensign?”

“Eros’ Corner. Breaches of all sorts occur on that website.”

“That’s concerning. I will inform the information technology crew to scan all holonet compatible devices for viruses and malware once our meeting is over. Why would you seek out such a dangerous website, Ensign?”

“What? No, that’s not what I meant. Have you really never heard of Eros’ Corner, sir?”

Faro had heard of the porn site, but she refused to admit it. Least of all to these two. “I am not familiar with this platform, nor should it matter. Ensign Kydo, you discovered evidence of a privacy and security violation that had taken place on this vessel. Security footage from the _Chimaera_ is never publicly distributed, and the location of this supposed footage indicates to me that it did not come from an authorized source. Despite the alarming implications of these facts, you did not report what you had found. Instead, you shared it with your crewmates. Is that correct?”

“How am I the person in trouble here? You’re the one in the video banging it out!”

“Jon…” Patel warned his friend. He forced himself to face Faro. “Ensign Kydo showed us what he found late last night. We were all shocked by what we saw. I was so surprised by what was in the holovid that I didn’t think of the security concerns until later. I don’t know if it’s real, but if it is… I’m sorry we didn’t say anything. I told Lieutenant Carter this morning after I’d slept on it.”

The contents were shocking? What had this holovideo captured, exactly? 

Oh stars. Faro was being an idiot. Eros’ Corner was a pornography website. What else from her relationship could possibly warrant an upload to such a platform?

Her stomach dropped. Her fists clenched. “Ensign Patel… this holovideo you saw. Are you claiming you viewed a sex tape?”

“Yessir.”

“Between the grand admiral and myself?”

“Yessir… wait. If the holovid was recorded without your consent, is it still a sex tape?”

“Really? That’s your question?” Kydo turned to Patel before bringing his eyes back to Faro. “So that’s how you got promoted, huh sir?”

Faro didn’t honor him with a response. “This meeting is over. Ensign Kydo, you are to face disciplinary action for both failure to report a security threat and insubordination. You are dismissed.” Kydo protested on his way out, but shut up when threatened with further punishment.

Faro then focused her attention on Patel, “Ensign Patel, you will provide me with the names of everyone else who witnessed this recording so that they may also be punished for failure to report. Once you have done so, you may return to your shift.” 

He named his crewmates in a heartbeat. The ensign didn’t ask Faro any questions about what he’d seen, but she could tell he wanted to.

Only once she dismissed Ensign Patel did Faro allow herself to panic. How had this happened? They’d been careful. They’d followed the rules they made together. How was it someone had still discovered the extended arrangement that existed between her and Thrawn? Why had they chosen to expose them in such a crude manner? 

And what sort of scheme involved filming Thrawn’s intimate moments for public release? If someone had planted a secret camera in Thrawn’s quarters, why would they admit to the fact in such an unorthodox fashion? Had the spy already gotten what they wanted before releasing the video? Was it their goal to ruin Thrawn’s reputation? How was Faro ever going to come back from this? ****

All of Faro’s paranoia from the past two weeks came rushing back. She felt all her hopes and aspirations dancing before her eyes, spiraling away in the wake of this mounting embarrassment. Punishing subordinates for watching her have sex may bring temporary relief, but it would not solve the problem at hand. She had to know how that footage had come into existence. She had to know who’d taken it and what their agenda was. She had to get the holovid taken down and thoroughly, publicly discredited.

But most of all, she had to tell Thrawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea came to me about a month and a half ago. I tried to get rid of it, but it won't go away. I hope as this fic goes on that it is at least somewhat funny. I spent more time setting up the scenario than I did on humor in this chapter. Credit goes to draculard for hearing my idea out and telling me it's worth pursing. I have nothing better to do in quarantine at the moment, so... enjoy!


	2. Examination

Faro made her way to Thrawn’s office like a woman possessed. Multiple stormtroopers, officers, and technicians acknowledged her as she passed, but Faro ignored them all. By the time she reached her destination, her face told Thrawn’s guards everything they needed to know about granting her entry. They opened the door for her without a word.

“Commodore Faro. I would have sent for you soon.” Thrawn welcomed her into his office. He gestured for her to take a seat across from him at his desk. In the middle of the desk was a paused holovideo featuring a blue man in white embracing a human lover from behind, his fingers midway through the task of removing her top. The pair faced away from Faro, but she had an easy enough time guessing who they were supposed to be.

“You’ve already heard about the possible security breach on the _Chimaera,_ sir?” Her face burned as she spoke. She could hardly take her eyes off the holoimage.

Thrawn, by contrast, showed no sign of emotion. That was almost worse. “Indeed. You are familiar with the way in which all holonet browsing on Imperial ships is monitored, yes Commodore?”

Faro swallowed. “I am familiar with the fact that traffic is monitored, yes. I do not know the exact process by which it is done, sir.”

“Hm. I suppose the exact details are not important here. Regardless, I was forwarded a copy of one Ensign Kydo’s browsing history in the early hours of this morning. That in itself is unusual, as it is no one’s duty to regulate the holonet usage of any subordinate. Unless, of course, they are engaged in activities deemed detrimental to the fleet or the Empire, in which case their activity is flagged by software for further review.” He leaned back, a pointedly neutral expression on his face. “That is what I have been doing here, Commodore. Reviewing the evidence.”

“Have you checked your quarters, sir? Have you found the camera on which this was recorded yet? Have you pulled a list of everyone who was granted access to your quarters and searched for a motive? I can do those things right now for you, sir. No one invades your privacy and gets away with it.”

Thrawn raised a hand, preventing her from continuing. “Let us not come to any premature conclusions. In your embarrassment, Commodore, I suspect you have forgotten something.”

Faro froze in her tracks. “What have I forgotten, sir?”

“Your list of tasks operates under the assumption that the holovideo before us is truthful about what it claims to portray. That it indeed features the two of us engaged in physical passion. Should you pursue your agenda now, you will be conceding as much to anyone you involve in your search for the supposed spy. Let us not violate that statute unless we have no other choice.”

“You… you think this holovideo may be a falsehood, sir?” It was almost too much to hope for.

“I do. Tell me, Commodore. Have you yet had a chance to view the evidence for yourself?”

“No, sir. I have been dealing with the ensigns who discovered this supposed breach.”

“Ah. You spoke to the ensign who first found this recording the previous night?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hm. I almost wish I could do so myself, though I suppose it would be redundant. I would like to know what Ensign Kydo finds so fascinating about technical incest among non-blood relations.”

Technical incest? What was Thrawn talking about? Wait. “Are you talking about pornography between step-siblings, sir?”

“Yes. I suppose it isn’t relevant to our concerns, but the advertisements certainly caught my eye.”

“It is a rather common category of pornography, sir. As are relations between stepmothers and stepsons.”

“And relations between members of separate species, it would seem. For all the planets that ban such unions, there certainly is an abundance of evidence that many secretly enjoy watching them take place. Take this holovideo, for example,” Thrawn gestured to the paused image. He turned it around so Faro could see the faces. “The hosting website boasts that despite only being available for a standard day, this particular holovideo has already caught the attention of over a million voyeurs.”

A wave of nausea crashed into Faro. She resisted the urge to double over. “Oh stars.”

Thrawn watched her with a quiet intensity. “Tell me, Commodore. Now that you can see the fronts of these individuals, do you notice anything peculiar about them?”

Faro gulped. She needed to pull herself together. If Thrawn believed the people in this holovid were not the two of them, he must have a reason for it. She wanted as much as him to believe this was all a ploy. But in order for them to argue they were being framed, they would need a way to prove it to others.

The first place Faro looked was the couple’s faces. The woman had her eyes closed in an embarrassing swoon, lips parted as if she was moaning. Her lips were painted bright red, smeared slightly as if she’d been kissed previous to this frame in the holovid. A quick look at the marks on the man’s (not Thrawn’s, she would not call him Thrawn) neck provided a decent enough explanation.

“The woman is wearing cosmetics, sir. As I am not obligated by military standards to paint my face, I do not own any.”

“I noticed that as well, Commodore. Unfortunately, I don’t consider it definitive enough proof. An opponent could argue that you donned cosmetics for the occasion and then destroyed them when this holovideo came out as a way of covering your tracks. I want you to find something less easily refutable.” Thrawn paused. “A shame the cosmetics are so heavy. They obscure the woman’s facial features to a degree. Otherwise, we would know for certain how similar her face is to your own. Her hair, height, and skin tone are all comparable to yours.”

Faro nodded. She turned her attention from the woman to the man, whose eyes were half open in a tense focus. She tried to dismiss the thoughts, but her mind was still on the subject of cosmetics. And that was when she noticed. “His eyes. They do seem to be red like yours, sir, but they don’t emit light of their own. Even though you should see a slight reflection on this woman’s shoulder based on her position,” she used a finger to point out what she meant, “there is none. The man’s eyes are not a light source. They aren’t yours, sir.”

“Correct. I suspect they are contacts. If you examined further, you may have also noticed the absence of red coloration around this man’s lower lid. These two facts taken together indicate to me that the man in this holovideo is not a Chiss at all. If I had to guess, he is most likely a Pantoran wearing eye modifications. There are other anatomical differences that tell me this information, but none that would be noticeable when I am fully clothed. As for the woman… turn your attention to her breasts, which are just becoming visible in this frame. Here, I will skip to a frame in which they are more prominent.” 

Thrawn fast forwarded through the process of the woman’s uniform tunic being removed and her bra coming unclasped. He paused as the undergarment was falling to the floor, suspending the item in midair. “As you can confirm, this woman’s breasts are noticeably larger than your own. I would like to avoid using this evidence in our case if possible, as asking me to admit as much means I have observed your breasts in any sort of capacity. I only point it out for our personal sakes. If I took us even further into this holovideo, you would also see that this woman lacks hair in the area surrounding her genitals. Until today, I did not know that some human women don’t grow hair in that region.”

Faro was really glad they were the only two people in the room. Otherwise, the awkwardness of this examination would go from deeply uncomfortable to downright unbearable. She crossed her legs on instinct, fighting the simultaneous urge to cross her arms over her chest. “I… agree my bodily proportions differ from those of this woman, sir. As for the subject of pubic hair, all human women develop it. Some just make the cosmetic choice to remove it by means of shaving or waxing. It is the same story with leg and armpit hair. The practice began with a corporate advertising campaign wanting to expand the presence of female customers in the shaving market.”

“I see. Thank you for that insight, Commodore.” Thrawn turned the holoimage back around. “I see now that many aspects of pornography can be deceptive.”

“You’ve… examined that particular porn video extensively, haven’t you sir?” 

“I have watched it several times in its entirety, yes. I was just starting to pick it apart frame by frame when you came in.” Thrawn looked from the image to Faro several times. He took in her disturbed expression and did his best to relieve her concerns. “Do not confuse my intent for doing so, Commodore. I am attentive only to the ways we can prove to those outside this room that this holovideo includes neither you nor I in its contents. Much as I wish the… dialogue between the pair were enough, it is not definitive evidence.”

“Are their voices that dissimilar to ours, sir?”

“Not just that. Whoever… dare I say _scripted_ this sequence has clearly never encountered either one of us. My imposter’s extensive use of Basic curse words is an obvious consequence of that. The woman intended to be you is worse; I could never imagine her reaching a commodore’s rank in the Imperial Navy. Her speech and demeanor show no indication of intelligence.” Thrawn stiffened. “I understand the appeal of pornography lies beyond its participants’ conversations, but there is a reason I have not played the holovideo with its sound on for you, Commodore. More than embarrass you, I suspect you would find your portrayal enraging.”

“If what you say is true, I probably would.” Faro wasn’t sure how relieved she should feel by this development. On the one hand, it was nice to know no one had actually filmed her and Thrawn enjoying each other’s company. On the other, it meant someone had sought out and filmed imposters of the two of them having sex, then posted the results to a porn site for the consumption of millions. Who would do that? _Why_ would they do that? Was there really no better way to ruin her and Thrawn’s reputations? 

She cleared her throat. “Is there any other evidence you think we could collect to prove we are not featured in the holovideo, sir? To whom are we presenting this evidence?”

Thrawn answered her questions in reverse order. “We are presenting our findings to Colonel Yularen, Commodore. I wish to request the assistance of his more cyber savvy subordinates in tracking down the true culprits behind this holovideo. What we have witnessed here today is an attack on our reputation and dignity, nothing less. I would like to find the makers of this holovideo, force them to confess their wrongdoings, and erase their creation from the holonet to the best of the Empire’s ability. 

“As for further evidence, there is one more thing we can examine.” He removed the porn holoimage from his projector, bringing up a schematic of his quarters instead. “I would like us to examine the layout of my private quarters together. If my theory is correct, there is no way for anyone to plant a camera that would both capture the scene this pornography scene alleges while also escaping my notice.”

“I understand, sir. How exactly would we test your theory regarding the camera?”

And so the two of them got to work, using the relative location of the actors and the bed they soon occupied (which did not match Thrawn’s in any way) to discern if there was any place to hide the camera in Thrawn’s quarters. Faro proposed that it would be possible for the camera to simply camouflage with the ceiling or maintain a miniature size to avoid detection, but Thrawn countered by reminding her of his infrared vision. He often stared up at the ceiling of his quarters while drifting off to sleep. He didn’t know of any electronic device that didn’t emit a certain degree of heat, and the only other electronic devices in that area were the lights. No one would place a camera by the lights to hide the camera’s heat signature because that would ruin the camera’s recordings.

The pair looked into a few other things about the holovideo before Thrawn was satisfied. Once he was convinced they had enough proof to offer Yularen, Thrawn made the call. Faro was prepared to leave at that moment, but Thrawn motioned for her to join him, so she stood at the edge of Thrawn’s desk, her posture professionally erect.

“Grand Admiral Thrawn. To what do I owe this pleasure?” Yularen didn’t notice Faro at first. Was she not in the holocomm’s range?

“Nothing pleasant, I am afraid. Commodore Faro and I,” Thrawn motioned for her to step forward. Faro did, careful to keep distance between her and Thrawn, “have been investigating a purported security breach of a rather odd nature. A recording claiming to feature the two of us has gained popularity on the holonet. While we are prepared to prove it is not genuine, the contents of said recording are defamatory in nature. I would like to request assistance in tracking down the holovideo’s creator so that they may be duly punished.”

“I see. Greetings to you as well, Commodore Faro.” Yularen inclined his head towards her. She acknowledged him in turn. “This recording you speak of, Grand Admiral. Could it be the one my cyber unit is currently having a field day with? Are its contents of a pornographic nature, by chance?”

“They are. I did not realize ISB had already discovered the holovideo in question.”

“Who do you think forwarded you the information, Grand Admiral? A monitoring program caught your ensign accessing the video last night. It is ISB’s duty to examine every instance the program flags to determine if what it found constitutes an actual threat to the Empire or its military. Members of the cyber unit are, at this time, divided over whether your case does indeed present a threat. If it as you say and the holovideo did not actually come from your flagship, it would seem the nays have the victory. I understand why you and your commodore would be displeased with the holovideo, but I am not convinced it is within the bureau’s purview to take action against it.”

“Colonel Yularen. Is it not Imperial law that defamation of high ranking officials in the Empire is to be deemed treasonous? Is the investigation and prevention of treason not ISB’s explicit purpose?” Faro interjected, an edge to her voice.

“I am aware of the law you reference, Commodore, but understand that its application so far has been limited to Moffs, Senators, Governors, and the Emperor himself. The law does not explicitly include military officers. Furthermore, and understand that I have not seen the holovideo itself, but it is the opinion of one of my subordinates that the holovideo may not meet the threshold for defamation. He reasons that since it does not name either one of you specifically, the makers of the pornography could argue that any resemblences you find are not intentional.”

“Forgive me, Colonel, but I find that assessment lacking.” Thrawn took over from there. “The very title of the holovideo is, and I quote directly, ‘Alien Admiral Fucks First Officer’. If you can name another ‘alien admiral’ in the Empire’s ranks, I would certainly be interested in hearing it. Furthermore, the holovideo itself features a black haired, blue skinned humanoid in red contacts. Though I suspect the actor himself is Pantoran, the inclusion of red contacts cannot be a mistake. I am very much intended to be the man portrayed in this scene. On Commodore Faro’s side, the specific labeling of the pornography actress as my ‘first officer’ ought to be proof enough. If it is not, the human actresses’ costume and hair are modeled to match Faro’s own appearance. Again, this cannot be unintentional.

“On the subject of whether the law can be applied to high ranking military officials, I see no reason it cannot. Bar explicit exclusion in the law’s wording, I would think the commodore and I are protected by this statute just as much as any civilian politician would be.”

Colonel Yularen nodded, mollified. “I concede your points, Grand Admiral. ISB will investigate your case immediately. I will take your word that the holovideo itself is faked. Just so we’re clear: the actions depicted in the holovideo you describe are works of utter fiction. There is no sexual relationship between you and your first officer.”

“That is correct, Colonel.” To sell the bit, Thrawn gave Faro an exaggeratedly disinterested glance. “For all my years among humans, I have yet to discern what they consider attractive about themselves. Across the board, they are a thin, short, temperamental species. I would sooner die alone than I would lay a hand on a human woman… no offense to you personally, Commodore.”

Just because Faro knew what Thrawn was doing didn’t prevent his insults from stinging. Out of spite, she decided to rib him back. “None taken, Grand Admiral sir. I respect your intellect, but your sentiment regarding passion is mutual. Where I come from, sexual relations with a nonhuman is considered beastiality with no exceptions. The thought of sleeping outside my species, much less with a superior officer, is a betrayal of my values.”

“I… this incident seems to have touched a nerve among the two of you. Forgive me. I just had to confirm there was no lead to pursue there.” Yularen hesitated, then nodded. “I accept your statements. I witnessed greater chemistry in a holodocumentary about the Clone Wars’ origins. ISB will keep the _Chimaera_ updated, Grand Admiral.”

“Thank you for your time, Colonel.” Thrawn ended the call.

Faro promptly stepped out from behind him. She was about to leave once more when she noticed a mix of concern and amusement in Thrawn’s eyes. “Yes, sir?”

“Is what you said about your home planet true, Commodore?”

“Yes, sir. That is the law on Kohmbra. For the human, at least. Any nonhuman in this context faces, shall we say, _additional_ consequences.”

“I see. It explains why you are more concerned than I by the present incident,” Thrawn mused. He remained silent in thought for a minute, then remembered. “Ah. You are dismissed, Commodore.”

Should Faro apologize now or later? She was worried an apology now would cross the line into verbal affection, something she and Thrawn had promised to avoid during their shifts. Later it would have to be, then.

“Thank you, sir.”

So she’d gone a little far. This incident was all kinds of weird and had her all sorts of stressed. It was understandable for the two of them to be a bit testy, wasn’t it?

At least, that’s what Faro told herself. She went about the rest of her shift in tense hyperfocus, daring anyone else to question her about the porn video. After hearing what happened to Ensign Kydo, no one did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't this update would be ready as fast as it is, but here y'all go. I was particularly inspired to write this chapter, as am I to get to the fourth and sixth chapter of this fic. The third and fifth are also important to the plot, but I don't have many opportunities for humor in those.
> 
> So the porn video is fake. Turns out, Yularen didn't need Thrawn's detailed analysis after all. The idea that Thrawn spent his morning watching porn alone in his office is pretty fun to consider, though.
> 
> Well, until next time. Thank you to everyone who has supported this fic so far. Know that your support inspires me deeply!


	3. Containment

Thanks to the discovery of the holovid, Faro got a delayed start on her work for the day. As a result, she lost track of time and ended up finishing late. A brief chat with the trooper outside Thrawn’s door told her he had done the same and didn’t want to be disturbed. So much for clearing the air.

Maybe it was for the best. Just because no one had noticed them slipping away together before didn’t mean nobody would now. Perhaps the two of them needed to keep their personal distance until the porn incident was behind them. They could deny the holovid’s authenticity as many times as they desired. Faro knew not everyone would be convinced until the real creators came forward.

ISB started their investigation in earnest that morning. Yularen had forwarded Faro a preliminary report detailing how his agency would prevent the holovideo from getting more attention. So far, the Empire had not asked Eros’ Corner to take the video down for fear the creators would reupload elsewhere. Eros’ Corner may not be an obscure site by any means, but it was far from the most popular pornography distributor in the galaxy. They wanted to contain the incident quietly, not draw any more attention to the matter.

Instead, the Empire pressured the site to discreetly take the video off their trending page and remove it from all recommendation lists. Furthermore, the mainstream press received strict orders to quash any stories about the incident for fear of slander, libel, and sedition charges. This hadn’t stopped certain anonymous chat rooms from passing links around, but ISB argued their efforts were sufficient at limiting the spread. Since their efforts began, new views on the holovid had slowed dramatically. In a galaxy hosting trillions of sentient beings, ISB argued that Faro ought to be grateful only a million and six hundred thousand had seen a compromising holovid of “her”. More than that, the holovid had yet to surface on any other platform, limiting exposure even further. Given that Faro had yet to receive angry communications from distant relatives or former crewmates, Faro felt obligated to agree.

As for the  _ Chimaera _ , all ensigns involved in the initial discovery were forbidden from speaking about their experiences with anyone else. Lieutenant Carter was added to the ban after he was overheard ranting about his morning at lunch. Both Faro and Thrawn declined to make any statements on the matter as they feared doing so would give the holovideo undue attention. Faro worried some may take their silence as an admission of guilt, but she didn’t want to speak on the matter until she had all the facts in her grasp. There was too much she still didn’t know at this time.

Unfortunately, just because she didn’t want to talk about the holovideo didn’t mean other officers felt the same way. When Faro finally did clock out of her shift and snatch some food for dinner, Woldar and Hammerly cornered her before she could escape to her quarters. She nodded to them, trying to get away. “Commanders.”

“Commodore. Can we, um, can we talk for a minute?” Woldar avoided her gaze as he spoke.

Hammerly, on the other hand, took a more direct approach. “Rumors about this morning are making rounds on the ship. Insane ones, too.”

Faro cocked her head. “Really? I believe the ensigns who were punished this morning received orders not to discuss their experiences with others.”

“People heard them talking on the bridge before they were disciplined,” Woldar explained, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “Just bits and pieces, but that’s all rumors need to get started.”

Hammerly leaned in, invading Faro’s personal space. “Faro… is there really porn of you and Thrawn on the Holonet?”

Faro groaned. “It’s not us! The grand admiral and I proved as much to ISB this morning. It’s just… a moderately convincing fake that anyone who is a stranger to the grand admiral and I may be deceived into thinking is real.”

“Oh.” Woldar hesitated. “So you and the grand admiral aren’t… entangled.”

“No. Is that the rumor going around on the ship?”

Hammerly addressed Woldar first. “I told you there’s no way. I’m not convinced Thrawn experiences attraction at all. Forget attraction to humans.”

“The grand admiral said something similar during our call with Colonel Yularen. He claimed he would rather die alone than lay with a human woman,” Faro repeated, doing her best to hide her emotions. Perhaps Thrawn’s lie would serve her well here. Hammerly already believed it.

Her fellow officers noticed her hesitation anyway. Thankfully, they interpreted it as mere embarrassment. “That must have been awkward. I’m sorry for questioning you, Faro. I never thought about Thrawn being interested in anyone before today. If he was into humans, though, I’m sure you’d be his first choice.” Faro raised an eyebrow. “What? It’s not like Thrawn’s particularly close to anyone else on this ship. Not anymore, anyway.”

“Unfortunately for you, Faro, a lot of other officers have Woldar’s idea. What they aren’t as sure of is your side of things. Anyone who knows you understands that you don’t sleep your way to the top, but…” Hammerly shrugged. “It’s a big ship. Not everyone on board knows you personally.”

Like that ensign from this morning. It was beneath her to let that boy’s comments continue to bother her, but Faro struggled to move past them. She tried to change the subject, if slightly. “The call was awkward. Not as awkward as the evidence gathering process, though.” Faro briefly described how Thrawn had asked her to examine the porn video and search for differences between their appearance and those of the actors. She left out their more intimate observations, but the commanders guessed at them regardless. Faro could see sympathy gathering in their eyes.

“That sounds like torture. Be glad ISB is on the case. You can be sure they’re going to find the fools responsible. Especially if the pair are professional porn stars.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if the people in the holovideo have done porn before, ISB can compare their faces and… um, bodies with other holovids in search of a match. I’ve heard they have software programs capable of that.” Hammerly smiled, though it only showed on half her face. “I can imagine a few sentient agents may want to review the matches in person first before getting back to you.”

“Oh. You think this might be a popular case to work right now?” Woldar teased, then noticed Faro’s expression. “Sorry.”

“My point is that your case is in good hands. Try not to think about it if you can avoid it. ISB will figure out who’s behind this. Once they do, you and Thrawn can punish them in front of the entire galaxy. Rumors will mostly die down on their own from there.”

“You think so?” Faro knew how hard it was for some people to let go of gossip. Gossip about Grand Admiral Thrawn was a particularly voluminous category, full of everything from incorrect biology facts to brutal murder of his former aide. Despite her role as his first officer, Faro had mostly been exempt from the rumor mill’s contents. Until now, that is.

Woldar nodded. “Of course. It won’t happen right away, but the next big scandal will come out soon. People will jump on that the same way they’re jumping on this. “

“You’ll be fine, Faro,” Hammerly agreed, placing a hand on Faro’s shoulder. “Your career is still on track. Here, come to the cantina with us. You can eat your food there and get a drink, too. Take your mind off things.”

Faro hesitated. She wouldn’t mind relaxing a bit, but she still wanted to talk to Thrawn tonight. Besides, it was already somewhat late. Maybe she should just return to her quarters after all. Call it a night.

“Come on, Faro! You haven’t joined us for drinks in weeks. I thought you promised not to let your promotion get between you and a good time.” Woldar moved to Faro’s other side. Together, the two commanders urged her in the direction of the cantina. “You’re going to miss us when you transfer off the ship, you know.”

Faro sighed, falling in step with them. She appreciated her coworkers’ attempts to cheer her up, even if it didn’t help much. “I still haven’t heard anything about transferring. What if this is the event that prevents me from taking another command post?”

“No way this is the problem. The holovideo was uploaded today, wasn’t it? You’ve been waiting for news about your transfer for weeks. Whatever the holdup is, it’s unrelated to today’s drama.”

“Unless this was planned,” Woldar mused. “Maybe someone else wants to lead that task force. They used some political connection to delay your transfer but needed a reason to refuse you entirely, so they hired a pair of porn actors to create that reason.”

“...” Faro had no words.

But Hammerly did. “Woldar, that is the weirdest smear campaign idea I’ve ever heard.”

“Is it? There are some petty people in the Empire. Remember that one Moff Commander Vanto told us about? The one that prevented him from advancing past ensign for years on end? Who knows how he did it.”

“Not with fake pornography, that’s for sure.” Hammerly shook her head as they entered the cantina. She was careful to keep her voice down.

“Well, Faro and Thrawn are significantly higher ranking than an ensign. That makes the two of you more difficult targets. It’s even possible your mysterious rival tried to dig real dirt up on you first. This could be their way of admitting they didn’t find anything.”

Faro hummed noncommittally. She sat down at the bar with Hammerly and Woldar on either side. Her coworkers used their bodies as shields to block the gaze of other patrons. “If you’re right, Woldar, this person didn’t think their idea through. If the top brass believe I have an inappropriate relationship with the grand admiral, why would they keep me stationed on his flagship? Wouldn’t I be transferred regardless?” Or court marshalled?

“Maybe. But by then, you would be more likely to get transferred down the ladder than up. Instead of the task force you were promised, you might get some uneventful sector in Wild Space where your only adversaries are the occasional smuggler. That’s hardly the promotion you were promised.” Woldar wasn’t backing down on his theory. If he kept this up after he got drunk, his ideas were only going to get wilder in nature.

Despite her reservations, Faro couldn’t dismiss his explanation entirely out of hand. It did make a certain amount of sense. Sex scandals were common enough among the politicians of Coruscant. So common, in fact, that the public hardly batted an eye. Accusations of someone keeping a mistress or soliciting a prostitute were but a temporary inconvenience to a Senator, Governor, or Moff. She could see how this plot would fit better into a politician’s scheme than a military rival’s.

Unlike the Empire’s political apparatus, the military tended to be stricter regarding sexual matters. Especially if both the involved parties were soldiers, especially if there existed a difference in rank between the two, and  _ especially _ if the higher ranked individual was part of the lower ranked individual’s chain of command. Sex between a commander and subordinate was seen as a less acceptable form of bribery. Such a perception was based on the belief that the subordinate was trading sex for preferential treatment from their commander. Even though Faro had never slept with Thrawn until after her transfer was announced as forthcoming, that wouldn’t prevent outsiders from making assumptions about her. Ensign Kydo was proof enough of that. Add the fact that Thrawn was a high ranking  _ alien _ in the Imperial military, and what would be a minor scandal for any other grand admiral had the potential of delivering severe damage to Thrawn’s career. This “sex tape” ensured the pair suffered together. 

“You aren’t taking Woldar seriously, are you?” Hammerly asked, concerned. She ordered ales for the two of them while Woldar elected for something stronger. Faro was half tempted to follow Woldar’s lead, but she knew she had to work in the morning. Woldar’s alcohol tolerance had grown legendary among officers of the  _ Chimaera _ . Faro was no lightweight, but that didn’t mean she could match his intake. 

“I don’t have a better explanation at the moment. Who else would target me in this way? Who would ever think of doing something like this?”

“Rebels?”

“For once, I doubt it. And I don’t want to talk about this here.” What was the point of asking junior officers to stay silent if her friends were going to air Faro’s personal business out for the entire cantina to hear? “I followed you two here so we could relax a bit. Or is that not what you promised me?”

“You’re right. We did promise you that. To a good time.” Woldar raised his glass once all three had their drinks. From there, the trio of officers launched into a loosely connected stream of tangents ranging from comedic redressing of Vader’s reign of terror to plans for future shore leaves. Faro had taken a week off recently, but Hammerly was approaching a year without seeing her family and wanted to know how her brother’s children were doing. As it were, Hammerly’s oldest niece had been accepted into an Imperial Academy recently. Hammerly had already congratulated her over holo, but it wasn’t the same. 

Woldar, for his part, was still bitter about his previous shore leave, in which he had attempted to surprise his wife only to witness her sharing the bed with another man. Any upcoming shore leave would be his first one since the divorce. Faro tried to cheer him by pointing out that he could travel anywhere in the galaxy for his vacation now, not just his home planet. He could relax on a beach resort, somewhere entire star systems away from his ungrateful ex. Woldar just nodded and chugged his spirits.

While not always a happy conversation, Faro’s time at the cantina succeeded in getting her out of her own head. It was nice to let loose with friends again. Evenings with Thrawn were delightful, but in a different way. They did have one similarity, however: Faro didn’t know how many of either she had left.

Faro was about to order her third ale when she decided she’d had enough for the night. No, she was nowhere close to drunk, but she did have to work in the morning. It was late enough as it was. Now that Faro was distracted from her problems, she should get to bed before her thoughts had the chance to creep up on her again. 

She announced her intentions to Woldar and Hammerly. “I’m turning in for the night, but thank you. Both of you. I needed this.”

“Fine, be responsible,” Woldar groaned, a teasing smile on his face. “It’s not like you could ‘convince’ Thrawn to be lenient on you if you reported to shift hungover, right?”

Hammerly laughed. “He’d be confused out of his mind.”

“It would never work.” Faro did her best to smile along… and back came the thoughts again.

“Faro, come on! We were just teasing.” Hammerly stopped grinning and put her hand on top of Faro’s. “Goodnight. Try to get some rest.”

“I will. Try not to get too drunk without me.”

Woldar laughed painfully. “I make no promises.”

“Don’t listen to him. I’ll cut him off soon.” Hammerly waved as Faro walked out the door.

Sleep evaded her. Much as Faro tried to push her worries away, they always stayed right there with her. If ISB really were running the actors through a search engine, she hoped they found a match soon.

* * *

The next morning, Faro spent less than a minute in her office before Thrawn summoned her to his own. She wasted no time responding to his summons.

“Commodore, I have news. ISB forwarded their report to me sometime during the night. I read it over before my shift began.”

Faro did a poor job of hiding her surprise. “ISB is efficient. What did they include in their report, sir?”

“The identities and locations of our insipid imposters. They discovered the Pantoran male first, given that he is one of the only males of his species who has uploaded to the holovideo’s hosting site before. It is through him ISB cyber task force pinpointed the human female. At this time, both parties are still located on the planet Corulag, one of the few Core World planets that lacks prohibition on both pornography and interspecial relations.” Thrawn let the information sink in before he continued. “I intend to pay our imposters a brief visit. I have informed ISB of my plans already. Originally, I wished to leave you in charge in my absence, but since these pretenders’ crimes are an offense against the both of us, it seems appropriate I offer you a choice. You may either accompany me on this mission or remain here.”

Faro blinked. “I appreciate your consideration, sir. I would be pleased to accompany you.”

Thrawn exhaled. He watched Faro with a discerning eye. “Thank you, Commodore. I… It is my wish that we resolve this incident together. We are both affected by the situation and should focus our energy towards a solution. Nothing I have said in pursuit of that objective was meant to demean you. I apologize if that was the result of my actions. Please allow me to elaborate further once this incident is behind us.”

Faro fought a smile off of her face. Now that was how one apologized without breaking rules. “I agree completely, sir. Please allow me to apologize as well. When do we depart the  _ Chimaera _ for Corulag, sir?”

Thrawn’s eyes shone, offering Faro traces of warmth inside. “I have already made the necessary arrangements. We leave within the hour.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like a night of drinking to take your mind off things. I will admit I'm more excited to write the next chapter than I was to write this one, but I did want this as a buffer between chapters four and two. I like the way it offers an outside perspective into both the porn incident as well as Faro and Thrawn's relationship. Plus I just love the Chimaera crew and want to take every chance I can to give them more depth. 
> 
> That said, expect the next chapter sooner than later. I want to bang out as many fanfic updates as a can before school starts back up again. I already haven't been as productive as I wished. While you're waiting, I recommend the beautiful gift fic I received from coffeeberry, entitled "Because It's You". If you've read draculard's "Large Everything", "Because It's You" will be a delightful addition to your Thraro collection.
> 
> Thank you all again for your support. Until next time!


	4. Encounter

To Faro’s momentary surprise, she and Thrawn were set to leave the _Chimaera_ not in an official Imperial transport, but in a nondescript cargo ship Thrawn kept in the hangar for undercover missions. With them came only a minimal stormtrooper guard in which no one wore their official armor. They still had blasters tucked away in their disguises, though. It gave them the look of hired goons.

Thrawn took note of Faro’s observations and explained, “I wish to travel as discreetly as possible for this mission. As our business on Corulag is not directly related to the current objectives of the Seventh Fleet, I deemed it inappropriate to arrive on Corulag in an official capacity.”

Well. She supposed he couldn’t outright _say_ the matter was a personal one. Not without revealing details of the incident to eavesdroppers. “I understand, sir. Will we also don civilian attire for this mission?” 

“That won’t be necessary, Commodore.” Thrawn waited for her at the top of the ship’s loading ramp. As the hatch closed around them, Thrawn escorted her to a part of the ship in which they could discuss matters privately.

As was appropriate, Faro waited for Thrawn to speak before offering any of her own insight into the situation. He was not inclined to speak right away, preferring instead to listen for the sound of the ship entering hyperspace. Once it had, he continued where he left off. “I do not anticipate any danger on this mission. The guard is a precautionary measure. I would not include them if I did not think there was the slightest chance an explicit holovideo could serve as bait for a rather outlandish trap.”

Bait for a trap? In the realm of improbable conspiracies, only Thrawn could outdo Woldar. For every time his creative suspicions proved correct, there existed a hundred musings Thrawn only dismissed after a careful consideration of the evidence. 

Faro gave voice to none of these thoughts. “How do you propose we approach this, sir? Where exactly on Corulag are we travelling to?”

“We will park the ship on the outskirts of Lagu, Corulag’s largest city. According to ISB’s report, we will be able to land close to our imposters’ place of work: a professional pornography studio.” Thrawn walked to the other side of the room. He entered a short password into a keypad and opened what appeared to be a closet. In it were several robes and a few costume accessories. The accessory Thrawn elected to remove from the closet was a pair of green tinted sunglasses. “We will wear low effort disguises over our uniforms to obscure our identities at first. We have no reason to draw attention to ourselves before confronting our imposters. I do not want to change entirely, however, because I want the first thing we confront our imposters with to be our true selves. They need to know exactly how serious we are taking their crimes lest our message not leave a sufficient impression.”

Wait. Thrawn owned green tinted costume shades for when he wanted to look _less_ conspicuous in public? What cheap costume store had he pulled those out of? “I… see, sir. What is our message, exactly?”

“That our likeness is not to sullied by association to cheap pornography from a tasteless website that caters to the lowest common denominator of sensual experience. While it is possible to create art out of sexual passion, the work of this studio is nowhere close to achieving that goal. Furthermore, their portrayal of our relationship is a debased attack on our careers and reputations. Those imposters formed the worst possible interpretation of what a relationship between the two of us would look like and, by presenting themselves as the two of us, sought to convince others of their view. I did not champion your promotion to commodore with the expectation of sexual repayment. You have no need for bribery in pursuit of your career. To claim otherwise is lewd, criminal, and ignorant to the highest degree.”

In most situations, hearing that sharp edge of anger seep into Thrawn’s voice would be cause for alarm. But in this instance, Faro found his rage vindicating. It felt good to know her feelings were shared on the matter, that she wasn’t overreacting to this threat. Never mind how inconsequential it may seem to others. Faro was too proud of her career to have it degraded by imposters for the sexual fulfillment of strangers. If all anyone saw of Faro was that holovideo’s portrayal of her, they would be sorely misled about her skills as a soldier.

Her relationship with Thrawn, though newer, was also undeserving of such crude regard. Before either of them had formed a romantic attachment, there had first been a mutual, professional respect for one another. To this day, Faro prided herself on being one of the few officers who could openly suggest changes to Thrawn’s orders. She knew from experience he was the greatest military leader the Empire would ever have. To have his respect meant the galaxy to her.

So in response to Thrawn’s declaration, all she said was: “I couldn’t agree more, sir. Those two will pay for what they’ve done. They and any other individuals who might have planned this attack.”

“We will soon find out if any third entity was involved. I doubt our imposters will be expecting us to appear in person. When we catch them off guard, it is my desire to use our advantage to extract the names of everyone involved in the sordid affair. Only once we have everyone in our sights will we initiate punishment.”

Faro couldn’t help but smile. She was looking forward to enacting vengeance on the woman who spread vicious lies about her. She was sure Thrawn felt the same about his Pantoran counterpart. “I look forward to our arrival on Corulag, sir. If I may make one suggestion to your plan before we land there?”

“What is it, Commodore?”

Faro approached Thrawn, delicately snatching the green glasses out of his hands. “Do not wear these. You’ll attract almost as much attention as if you wore your uniform proudly.”

“Are you certain of that, Commodore?” Thrawn pulled a thick tan cloak out from his costume closet. He held the cloak up to his chest and pointed at the green lenses. “I once wore this exact ensemble to a private meeting on Coruscant. No one but my contact recognized me then.”

Faro’s lips twitched imagining the sight. The cloak with its hood up likely conveyed an image reminiscent of the Jedi, but adding the glasses swerved the look into unintentionally comedic territory. “Perhaps no one on Coruscant recognized you, sir, but that does not mean you didn’t attract undue attention. A disguise is not only meant to conceal your features, sir. It is also meant to help you blend in with your surroundings.”

Thrawn processed her assessment. “You worry the tint of those glasses is too dissimilar to the fashions of Corulag?”

“The tint and style both, sir. If I may,” Faro stepped past Thrawn without waiting for a response. She searched the closet for a backup pair of shades. After a minute, she grabbed a second set from the top shelf. Thankfully, these shades were black in color. More typical of Core World styles. “If you insist on covering your eyes for this mission, sir, I recommend you wear these instead.”

Thrawn took the black shades from her. He ran his hands over their rims, a faraway cast to his face. “Commander Vanto wore these once on an undercover mission of ours. He bought them with his own credits. I… did not realize this pair was still aboard the ship.”

“Well. His understanding of disguise wins out over yours then, sir.” Faro meant those words playfully, but all she got for them was a distant nod. When Thrawn didn’t elaborate right away, she reached for another cloak in the closet. This one was smaller than the one Thrawn held. It was a darker brown and meant to cover the body of an individual shorter than her. “Was this cloak also last used by Commander Vanto, sir?”

“Yes, Commodore. It was bought with his proportions in mind.” Thrawn eyed her long legs. “As you may remember, Commander Vanto was smaller in stature than you. I do hope that will not pose a problem with your disguise. If it does, you may wear another one of my cloaks.” He gestured to a backup tan cloak identical to the one in his hand. “Be careful not to trip on the hem if you elect for it.”

Faro weighed her options. She tossed the brown cloak over her shoulders then glanced down. The cloak stopped roughly eight centimeters from the ground, showing her shoes and the cuff of her pant legs. If Thrawn and Faro intended to remove their disguise early into the encounter regardless, it shouldn’t be held to a high standard of scrutiny. Faro would rather not risk the potential of an embarrassing stumble, so she opted for the shorter cloak. “Thank you, sir. I would rather wear Commander Vanto’s old cloak. It’s not as if he needs it anymore.”

At those last words, Thrawn’s expression darkened. “No. I suppose not.”

A moment of silence passed. Faro asked Thrawn a few more questions about their strategy. He replied with greater reticence than before, as if his mind were only half present. He glanced at the cloak around Faro’s shoulders several more times but made no move to discuss Vanto again. By this point in time, Faro knew better than to press the subject. She wished she could comfort him but was unsure of how to do so appropriately right now. According to their rules, the sentiment would have to wait.

* * *

After landing on Corulag, Thrawn and Faro confirmed the location ISB gave them with their real life view of Lagu. They had parked their ship deep in Lagu’s former industrial sector and were currently surrounded by repurposed/empty warehouses. Years ago, Corulag had moved manufacturing to a planet with cheaper labor and steered their workforce towards the service industry. The move had left a lot of buildings (and workers) behind.

One of the few buildings with any lights on in the area was, according to ISB, the address from which the holovideo had been uploaded. Further research from ISB agents showed that the warehouse had been bought a few years ago by a porn actor turned producer. Receipts and invoices paid to renovators, set designers, camera operators, and the next generation of adult film stars made it obvious what Rico Swarve had purchased the building for. Despite much suspicion on Thrawn’s part, ISB insisted they’d found no ties between Swarve and organized crime. Pornography was a legal, regulated industry on Corulag. Its laws varied only slightly from those governing the production of holodramas.

Of the six guards that Thrawn had asked to accompany them, he left two on the ship and four scattered in the area near the building. If an altercation broke out or more dangerous criminals showed up, backup would be close by. Faro understood the necessity of such caution, but she doubted the issue would escalate to such a degree. 

Cloaked and hooded, Thrawn and Faro entered the converted warehouse. At the front was the semblance of a waiting area. A single human sat behind the front desk, not paying the slightest attention to who walked through the front door. It was only when the pair stopped directly in front of her that she deigned to glance up at them.

“First time, huh? If you’re so ashamed to walk in here, how you gonna show your face for the holonet? Which one are you here to shoot tonight, anyway?”

“You misunderstand our purpose. We are not here to perform as actors. We need to speak with two actors from this studio. Are you capable of summoning them for us?”

She raised an eyebrow. Her eyes flitted back and forth between Thrawn and Faro, trying to see which one of them was more approachable. After some deliberation, the receptionist settled on Faro. “And why do you need to see them? Who are you?”

Faro settled on a vague explanation. They had no dispute with this woman, nor did they want to get held up dealing with her. “The actors we seek are individuals who have wronged us. We’re here to set some matters straight.”

That triggered suspicion. “What is this? Some kind of hit? Who are you people?”

Thrawn didn’t answer with words. He simply made sure the receptionist was looking at him before lowering his shades. She took one look into his eyes and gasped.

“Holy stars! What did you do to your eyes? Please tell me those are contacts.” Thrawn shook his head. “No? What kind of a genetic condition does that to a Pantoran?”

“None that I am aware of. I will ask you one time: where can I find actors Rayau Kikso and Fallon Jennings?”

“They did that to your eyes?!” she exclaimed. When Thrawn did not immediately respond, she nodded and reached for the intercom. “I’ll ask for them now. You two can wait in the meeting room right over there.” She pointed.

“Is it a real meeting room or another set?” Faro asked. “Has it at least been cleaned since its last use?”

“Oh it’s real. This is still a film studio, ma’am. You know, a place of business? Unless you want to wander onto their sets and speak to them there?”

“The meeting room is fine. Can you also ensure the pair are fully dressed when they come to see us?”

The receptionist shook her head. “I make no promises of that. Both the actors you want are scheduled for filming right now. Now shoo before I change my mind!” She pointed once again to the meeting room. This time, Thrawn and Faro chose to oblige her.

They spent the next few minutes waiting in a cramped and (by all appearances) legitimate meeting room. Through the door, Faro could hear the receptionist’s voice blasting over the intercom, followed soon after by a chorus of protesting voices. In the argument that ensued, Faro could only hear one sentence clearly. The receptionist asked the question over and over: what did you do to “that man’s” eyes?

“Why did you reveal yourself to her if you don’t want her to know who we are yet, sir?”

“You claimed Mr. Kikso and Ms. Jennings had wronged us. The receptionist clearly wanted to know how they had done so. I could not truthfully explain the situation without revealing our identities in full, so I allowed her to make her own assumptions.”

“You’re lucky she doesn’t know much about you, sir.”

“This may surprise you, Commodore, but relatively few people do. Without the clue of my uniform to inform them, I appear as a genetically deformed Pantoran to most. It is no coincidence this studio sought a Pantoran to imitate me.”

Right as Thrawn said that, a shirtless Pantoran burst through the door. Had there been no blanket tied around his hips, he would have been completely naked. “What’s going on in here? Why’d you interrupt my scene?”

“Mr. Kikso. If you would be so kind as to sit down. We need to talk.”

He froze in his tracks. “How do you know my real name? I use a stage name on the Holonet.”

“That’s not the only alias you use, either. Now sit.”

After much hesitation, Rayau moved up far enough that Faro could get behind him. She waited for Fallon (who had the better sense to don a bathrobe) to join them in the room before shutting the door. She stood in the way of anyone seeking to enter or exit for the whole exchange.

“What is this? Who are you people? I hope you’re ready to pay for wasting my time. Part of my compensation is hourly,” Fallon complained before sitting next to Rayau.

Faro nodded to Thrawn. “Now, sir?”

“Now.”

They removed their cloaks as one. Thrawn set his sunglasses aside and leaned in close to Rayau. “Before you ask, Mr. Kikso, these are not contacts… unlike the pair you possess. I can also assure you that these uniforms came from an Imperial dispensary, not whatever fraudulent costuming agency your studio utilized.”

Rayau didn’t put the pieces together right away, but once he did, he gasped. “Admiral Thrawn…”

“Well, that was the most disappointing strip show I’ve seen in awhile,” Fallon quipped. Unlike her scene partner, she was not the slightest bit fazed. Her eyes combed over Thrawn. “Are you honestly stopping there?”

“Unlike you, neither of us need to strip naked for money,” Faro leaned on the meeting room door, eyes fixated on Fallon’s well-kept mane of curls. She must have worn a wig for the holovideo.

“Wait… oh my stars. Admiral Thrawn saw our holovideo?” Rayau’s face broke out into a beam. “I can’t believe it. The holovid dropped two days ago and we’re already famous! I’ve been checking its view count hourly. We’re going viral, Fallon!”

“While I may wish I could erase your crude performance from my memory, you had the ill sense to approximate my and the commodore’s likeness for your stunt. Tell me, Mr. Kikso,” Thrawn leaned in closer. “What motivated you to attempt such a tasteless act? Who put you up to this?”

Rayau leaned back, chuckling nervously. “Has anyone ever told you you look older in person? And come on! It’s not like I made you look bad. We were totally sexy in that. Right, Fallon?”

“I know I was.”

“You were vapid, Ms. Jennings. Vapid, and utterly unconvincing in your role as a high ranking military officer. As for you, Mr. Kikso, you fail to grasp the extent of the anatomical differences between our two species. Furthermore, your extensive use of Basic curse words indicate you have no insight into my speech patterns. The pair of you’s portrayal of the commodore and me was neither faithful nor flattering.”

“Worse than being tasteless, it’s against Imperial law. Impersonation of the Empire’s military personnel is a crime,” Faro added, hoping to steer the conversation into more productive territory.

“Crime? Since when?” Fallon turned around, taking Faro in for the first time. Without Fallon’s wig or costume, the two of them hardly looked similar. “Are you supposed to be the first officer or something? Is that why you’re here?”

“I _am_ the grand admiral’s first officer, captain of the _ISD Chimaera_ , and a commodore in the Imperial Navy. I suppose nothing, Ms. Jennings.”

Fallon snorted, turning back around. “ _That’s_ the woman you said I looked like, Rayau? Are you trying to insult me?”

“I was going off a still image, okay? She looked better in that. More… alive.”

Faro swallowed the thorny ball of rage crawling its way out of her stomach. “You both are familiar with Grand Admiral Thrawn, but do either of you know who I am?”

Rayau paused. His shoulders dropped. “No, not really. I just saw a still of you standing next to the admiral in a holonews broadcast. I had pitched my idea about performing as Admiral Thrawn earlier that day and needed someone for him to bang.”

Faro leaned back onto the doorframe, stunned. She had no words.

“So the holovideo was your idea, Mr. Kikso?” Thrawn inquired. “What gave you that inspiration?”

“The Holonet comment sections under articles about you. You have fangirls, man! There is no shortage of blue dudes in the porn industry. If I want to make it big, I need something that helps me stand out. Like a gimmick, or a persona, or a-”

“Or the identity of another person,” Thrawn finished. His eyes narrowed. “I fail to see how impersonating me could be a viable path to pornographic stardom. I doubt enough women are fans of my military exploits to develop an interest in me. You are catering to a niche market.”

Fallon had the audacity to laugh. “Let’s just say it’s not your big _brain_ they’re into. Those horny women are more interested in you giving brain, if you catch my drift.”

Rayau sighed. “Aw, we should have done that!”

Thrawn did not catch Fallon’s drift, but he wasn’t about to admit it. “There cannot possibly be enough of these women to account for your holovideo’s popularity.”

“Why not? All the top Imperials have a fanbase. Stars, Darth Vader has his own _series_. Choking fetishists love him!” Rayau argued. “I did that gig once. I pretended I was a lowly politician from Pantora he wanted to ‘punish’. All I had to do was fake being air-choked until I ‘passed out’. Easiest scene I’ve done in my entire career.”

No way Darth Vader knew about this. If he did, he would recreate every video this crass studio had done using his likeness… minus stopping once his victims had passed out. Faro wondered how many of these so-called fetishists would like Darth Vader if they had to do their job beside him for days on end. Days in which they spent every waking minute in fear of a premature end to their life. The thought that someone could turn the terror of the Empire’s top enforcer into fap material was sickening.

If his expression was any indication, Thrawn agreed. “Even so, I fail to see what obscure fetish the commodore and I supposedly having relations could include. The holovideo you made together depicts rather standard intercourse.”

“You tick several boxes, actually. Interspecial sex, for one. That one’s too popular to stand out on its own, though, so add military fetishists and voyeurists to the mix. That second one is based on how the holovideo was shot. It’s meant to look like security footage taken from your ship. Pretty cool, huh?” Rayau was entirely too proud of his work for the circumstances. “We were going to tick the homosexual box as well, but Rico made me change it.”

“You originally had a male partner in mind?” Faro asked. She was still processing the fact that these two had assaulted her career, possibly doing irreparable damage, _by coincidence._ “Who?”

“Admiral Thrawn’s former aide. I think his name was Eli? Eli... something. I had an actor picked out and everything. Rico made me change my idea for two reasons. One, most of the comments I found thirsting on you,” Rayau gestured to Thrawn, “were from women. Rico thought a female partner would make it easier for those viewers to imagine themselves in her place. Fuel the fantasy and all that. Second of all, the holonet is still convinced you murdered that guy in secret. Making a porno of him getting fucked by his murderer might be seen as insulting to his memory. Rico was worried the holonet would turn on us for it.”

Really? That was where this studio drew the line? Dead people? Faro shook her head. She couldn’t waste time on how crazy this all was. She had to focus on keeping her voice low. “You confess that you were the mastermind behind this abomination, Mr. Kikso? Ms. Jennings acted on your directions?”

“You didn’t tell me this was illegal!” Fallon turned on Rayau. “How could you be such an idiot?”

“I didn’t know it was either. I thought we were fine so long as we didn’t use any names. That’s how the Darth Vader series does it. His videos call him ‘The Dark Lord’. Everyone knows porn isn’t real. No one actually thinks you two are banging between shifts, right?”

“I know I wouldn’t.” Fallon gave Faro another sideways glance. “I bet no one ever took you into the ship’s sex closet.”

“People do think your video is real, Mr. Kikso. I admit, your efforts to approximate my likeness were half-hearted at best. Ms. Jennings' attempt at Commodore Faro was even more dismal. Despite those shortcomings, the fact remains that many Imperial officers thought the holovideo was genuine. When your work was first uploaded to the holonet, it launched an ISB investigation into whether my ship had a potential security breach. A crewmember of my ship who stumbled upon your work had similar beliefs as well. Your work is not gaining popularity due to public interest in either one of you. It is increasing in views because the galaxy considers it evidence of a scandal in the military. You have given rivals of ours the tool they need to spread lies on our name, thereby damaging our ability to serve in the Imperial military. And for the suffering you’ve inflicted on us, I will make you suffer in turn.” Thrawn’s eyes smoldered with fury. 

Faro took over from there. “Imperial law does not require proof of intent to deem you culpable of slander and defamation, Mr. Kikso. By recent decree, defamation of high officeholders in the Empire can be considered an act of treason in select circumstances. Both you and Ms. Jennings are guilty of impersonation by your own admission. Your testimony incriminates the head of your studio as an accomplice to your crimes. Together, the grand admiral and I make for reliable witnesses to your confession. For us to ensure your punishment at this juncture is more than warranted.”

Rayau and Fallon glanced at each other, eyes wide. For the first time that meeting, the two of them seemed to realize why Faro was blocking the door. “What are you going to do to us?”

“What you deserve.” Thrawn whipped out a commlink from under his sleeve and held it to his lips. “We have what we need. Return to the ship and await further instruction.”

“Yessir,” came the response.

Rayau raised his hands in surrender. “We didn’t mean to cause you trouble. I honestly thought this would have no effect on your life. And I know I look tough with all these awesome muscles, but I gotta tell you... I never learned the first thing about fighting.” Sweat dripped down his face, taking clumps of blue foundation down with it. Around one of his eyes were flecks of a gold tattoo.

Fallon wailed. “Please don’t scar me. I can’t work if I’m ugly.”

Faro caught Thrawn’s eye. This was going to be more satisfying than she thought.

* * *

“Court is now in session for the case against Rayau Kikso and Fallon Jennings. The charges read as follows: impersonation of an Imperial military officer, defamation of character, and slander of high ranking Imperial officials.” The magistrate looked the pair in the eye, ignoring the crowded gallery recording her every move. “How do you plead?”

Fallon tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Huh. This is different.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took longer than I thought because I wanted to nail the ending. I'm still not convinced I did it justice and may change it yet. Still, I hope you enjoy. 
> 
> In other news, I got to bring draculard's favorite Thrawn look back! The only reason that man is not a fashion catastrophe is because he never has to dress himself in civilian clothing. We also to meet Thrawn and Faro's porn counterparts in this chapter, each indirectly named after time wasters I've been using during quarantine. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and all your support, and I look forward to pumping the next chapter out soon!


	5. Retribution

Faro leaned back in her uncomfortable gallery seat, arms crossed. She didn’t have much experience with trials, but she knew enough to say this one was not proceeding according to plan. Her biggest clue? The tension in Thrawn’s shoulders. He sat next to her in the front row, their spots chosen specifically for them to glare at the defendant throughout. The pair had hoped keeping the pressure high would be enough to push both porn actors into pleading guilt. They certainly had reason to believe Fallon Jennings intended to plead guilty. But as it turned out, Rayau Kikso may possess a spine just yet.

“Are you certain you don’t wish to change your plea, Mr. Kikso? The owner of your studio has already admitted guilt to false advertising and slanderous publication. He paid his fines in a settlement with the Empire. His confession hardly bodes well for your case.” The prosecutor paced about the courtroom, keeping her eyes directed on Rayau throughout. Since the reputation of the Imperial military was formally counted among the aggrieved parties in this trial, Rayau and Fallon were not allowed a defense attorney during the trial itself. Crimes against the Empire didn’t allow it.

“I did want to say no, but… Actually, now that I’m up here, is it possible to plead guilty to some charges and not others? Because I did totally dress up as Admiral Thrawn-”

“ _ Grand  _ Admiral Thrawn,” the prosecutor corrected.

“Yeah, him. I did dress like that guy.” Rayau gestured to where Thrawn was seated. “I wore red contacts and everything. But these other charges… I didn’t insult him! All I was doing was responding to people on the holonet who thought he’d be sexy in bed. That’s not an insult.”

“It became an insult when you implied he accepted bribes in the form of sex when assigning promotions to subordinates. Not only is that bad military practice, but it is against military regulation. Had your holovideo been accepted as genuine, Grand Admiral Thrawn could have been on his way to a third court martial. Damage to his career would be imminent.”

“Woah, hold up.” Rayau raised a finger. “ _ Third _ court martial? Admiral Thrawn’s been in the hot seat twice already?” He shrugged. “Court martials must not be that damaging to careers if dude’s still got the big badge.” 

Thrawn shifted in his seat ever so slightly. He and Faro had both wondered if that argument was coming. It was a logical point to make, but neither had been confident Rayau would be smart enough to come up with it. Perhaps someone had fed it to him.

Still, the reporters ate it up. At Thrawn’s request, ISB had partially lifted their sanction on the press talking about their “sex tape”. Reporters were allowed to speak on the trial so that the holovideo’s debunking could outdo the holovideo itself in terms of public attention. It helped that Eros’ Corner had since removed the clip to avoid charges of their own.

The presence of reporters made a guilty verdict all the more crucial. It wasn’t enough for Faro that the galaxy knew her “sex tape” was faked. She wanted this trial to serve as a warning to anyone else who would dare attempt something similar. If Rayau and Fallon got off too easy, the deterrence factor wouldn’t be strong enough. 

It did not help that the magistrate on the case was a stickler for the law’s letter. “We’re getting off topic. Counselor, please don’t waste my time discussing hypotheticals. So we’re clear, Mr. Kikso: you want to change your plea to guilty on the impersonation charge, but retain your not guilty claim with regard to defamation and slander. You claim that since you did not deal sufficient damage to the victim’s career, you cannot have defamed or slandered him.”

“That… sounds right. Sorry, I’m not great with legal talk.”

“We’ve noticed. Counselor, do you have anything to present in response to Mr. Kikso’s argument?”

Thankfully, Prosecutor Amala was prepared for this line of reasoning. As mentioned before, Rayau’s point was a logical one to make. “I acknowledge the evidence of professional damage against the grand admiral is slim. The holovideo was only released a week ago. It was investigated by the Empire almost immediately after release. Early interception prevented the grand admiral from suffering serious professional consequences. The same cannot be said, however, of Mr. Kikso’s other victim.”

Rayau leaned forward in his seat. “I’m sorry. My other _ what _ ?”

“Two Imperial officers were impersonated in the holovideo at the center of our discussions. Grand Admiral Thrawn is one. Commodore Karyn Faro is the other. A human by the name of Fallon Jennings portrayed her. Ms. Jennings is on trial for her role in this crime as we speak. However, since Mr. Kikso has already admitted he was the creative director behind the holovideo, he can be held legally responsible for defamation of Commodore Faro as well.”

“Faro? Who’s Fa- oh right, that lady.” Rayau pointed to her from his spot in the witness chair. “The first officer. Of course… Wait. I can be charged for what?!” Rayau tried to stand up in his seat. He was forced back into his chair by a bailiff. “No one told me that.”

The judge didn’t have a visible reaction to the prosecutor’s words. “Am I to assume there is greater evidence of professional damage in Commodore Faro’s case then, Counselor?”

“There is, Your Magistry. With the cooperation of the Seventh Fleet and Imperial Naval High Command, I have both recorded conversations and official documentation that show how Commodore Faro’s reputation fell by the estimation of her subordinates and commanders alike in the wake of the holovideo’s release. Having one’s professional success attributed to her bedroom activities is a damaging, yet all too common narrative.”

Rayau tried to dismiss the prosecutor’s concerns. “Why is this a big deal? It’s the military, right? It’s a bunch of adults on a big ship in the middle of space away from their families and culture. What do people expect is going to happen? I heard soldiers are one of the largest consumer groups for the porn industry.”

“Hence why the Imperial military has laws regulating its soldiers’ private behavior. Your fake scene claiming sex can be exchanged for promotions portrays a violation of said laws and a crude speculation regarding the character of Commodore Faro, a woman you admit to knowing nothing about.”

The sweat was back. Faro could see flecks of gold peeking through Rayau’s makeup again. “Well… how bad can it be?”

Prosecutor Amala straightened, hand drawn unconsciously into her greying black hair. “Not only does the woman’s reputation take a hit in this situation, but her perceived competency and professional abilities are cast into doubt as well. Given that Commodore Faro is the executive officer of an entire Star Destroyer, it is vital for her to command the respect of lesser ranked officers. Her subordinates. Starting on the night the defendant’s work was released onto the Holonet, that ability was met with sabotage.”

Prosecutor Amala presented  _ Chimaera _ security feed taken from the night Ensign Kydo made his fateful discovery. As the ensign played the holovid over and over for his crewmates, jokes ran abound about Faro’s “resourcefulness” and “sensitive understanding” of her commander’s “needs”. The clip made Faro’s mouth run dry.

Next came evidence leased by Faro herself to the investigation: footage from her office. Her dealings with Ensigns Kydo and Patel were on full display for the magistrate and press to analyze. Until now, she hadn’t realized what a poor job she’d done of hiding her shock and terror at the unfolding situation. Her grip was too tight and the corners of her eyes twitched too often to be missed. Even if it helped her win the case, she hated looking so vulnerable to such a wide audience.

After that came a memo from Naval High Command, drafted the afternoon after Faro and Thrawn had spoken with Yularen. Prosecutor Amala only read one section of the memo out loud: the section discussing the tabling of Faro’s next command post for “until due diligence has been made surrounding the recent incident”. Mentioned as well was the fact that Thrawn had been the first to recommend her for promotion to commodore, a detail “cast into question by new revelations”. 

As the prosecutor read, the magistrate of the case fixed her eyes on Faro. Though she couldn’t see them, she suspected the reporters behind her were doing the same thing. Every few seconds, another camera flashed. Faro resisted the urge to duck. Instead, she pursed her lips, keeping her head high as she realized just how widespread distrust in her abilities had become in the span of a single day. All because an enterprising porn actor saw her standing next to Thrawn in an still image one time. 

Most damaging (in her eyes) was the coincidence of it all. If Faro had actually been exposed for intimate relations with her commander, that would be one thing. At least then she would bear responsibility for such negative scrutiny. But that a complete stranger to her could have the same effect on her career without even knowing her  _ name _ ? That stung. If Hammerly or Xoxtin or Pyrondi or any other female soldier had stood next to Thrawn in the report Rayau witnessed, it would be them sitting in Faro’s seat. Never had an utterly irrelevant civilian wielded such power over her destiny. The shift in power went against everything Faro had grown to believe about the galactic hierarchy.

Prosecutor Amala rounded out her argument with a closing statement. “While Commodore Faro is fortunate the Empire was able to respond to this attack on her character so rapidly, it only took one standard day for her career to suffer from the defendant’s actions. There is sufficient evidence of damage for charges of defamation and slander to be considered appropriate.

“As I said before, this is an all too common narrative found across professions. Pornography will never be the most progressive visual medium, but its advancement of reductive stereotypes about powerful women has gone too far this time. In its targeting of easily identifiable figures, the holovideo the defendant put together with the help of his accomplices crosses the time from general crassness into specific legal territory. Despite never learning Commodore Faro’s name, the defendant provided sufficient identifying information for viewers to connect the events of the holovideo to her and the grand admiral with no mistake of intention. By the current legal framework, that is enough.” 

She folded her hands together, buttons on the sleeve of her black blazer rubbing together. “Your Magistry, a guilty verdict in this case is not just legally necessary, but a win for professional women across the galaxy, women who often find others inventing excuses for their hard won success. The details of this case may seem unusual at first, but at the foundation of the case lies an experience that strikes a chord with many in this room.”

At that, the hard lines in the judge’s face softened. For a brief moment in time, her dark eyes glazed over in memory, taking her to a time in the past about which Faro could only speculate. She looked back at Prosecutor Amala to see the same shadow fall across her features. More than the efficiency of the Empire’s investigation, Faro found herself grateful to have both a judge and an attorney who treated her case with the gravity it deserved. It would have been all too easy for a prosecutor to lean into the absurdity of the case or even turn it into a joke. Had that happened, Faro would have been furious.

Faro glanced at Thrawn’s face while the judge deliberated. He had been watching the show as intently as Faro. Noticing the movement in his peripheral vision, Thrawn broke off his stare to share a glance with her. He took in the contours of her expression and slowly blinked. A sign of serenity and acceptance. He predicted their victory, then.

A gavel struck the judge’s desk. Faro shifted her attention back to the front of the room. When she did, she noticed Rayau had left the witness chair and stood once more at the defendant’s bench. 

The judge shook wisps of silver hair out of her face before beginning. “I am ready to hand down my verdict. On the count of impersonation, Mr. Kikso has already pleaded guilty. On the counts of slander and defamation of character of two separate parties, I find the evidence insufficient in the case of Grand Admiral Thrawn, but clear with regards to Commodore Faro. Therefore, I find the defendant guilty of a single count on each charge. Mr. Kikso, prepare to receive your sentence.”

Rayau nodded, his back now to Faro. When he spoke, his tone was still too confident for her liking. “I am ready.”

“In total, you will face six months in Imperial prison, a fine of five thousand credits, legal liability in civil court, and a requirement to file a public statement of culpability. The latter two items are particularly important for your aggrieved party to go about regaining her reputation.”

The Pantoran nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Your Magistry.”

The judge didn’t respond directly, only struck her gavel a final time. “Case dismissed.”

* * *

Faro and Thrawn left the courtroom through a side exit, ducking the paparazzi as they did so. Only once they reached a secluded hallway adjacent to the defendant’s lobby did they stop to speak. “I was expecting more jail time. The sentencing guidelines for impersonation alone list up to five years as a possibility.”

“That is true. I suppose if you wish for Mr. Kikso to face greater consequences, you may always face him in civil court. The magistrate all but guaranteed you would win your suit there.”

“Please don’t sue me. I’m already gonna be broke from the fine. I don’t have anything else for you.” Rayau interrupted as he turned the corner. He was being led back to jail by two guards. His tone was light despite his words.

Faro gestured for the guards to pause their escort. She wanted to have a few words with Rayau. “You don’t seem particularly upset about anything other than the fine. I wouldn’t think jail time is conducive to your rise to pornographic stardom.”

“Ah. That is where you would be wrong… Commander.” Faro shook her head, much to Rayau’s confusion. “No? Well, whatever. See, I _ was _ upset going into the trial, but Rico’s lawyer told me to chin up. Now, I didn’t want to be declared guilty, but he predicted that even if I was, I would spend less than a year behind bars and that the press coverage would keep my name in circulation for a significant portion of that time. Right as media hype starts to die off, Rico plans to release some of my prerecorded scenes to keep my name alive. Don’t worry, Admiral, I don’t impersonate you in those,” Rayau reassured. “Either way, I’m gonna be a good prisoner, get out of jail early, and be even more famous than ever! My holvids are already up in traffic, so really, it all works out in the end. Nice to meet you guys, though!”

Rayau made for his prison transport. Initially he did so without his (understandably stunned) guard, but they quickly caught up with him. And here Faro thought she’d done the right thing agreeing to take the strictly legal route. Clearly the justice system’s punishments were insufficient.

Thrawn waited for all three men to leave earshot before offering commentary. “If you truly wish to punish Mr. Kikso, I suspect you would have to deal harm to his career. His career and the unique brand of fame it brings him. Still, I doubt he’s as pleased as he claims.”

“Why do you think that, sir?”

“You’ve noticed the way in which he keeps his golden facial markings hidden under a layer of makeup, correct?”

“I have. What of it?”

“I did some cursory research upon my first notice of it. In Pantoran culture, those facial markings signify family ties. Compound that with the facts that Mr. Kikso uses a stage name in his work and Corulag’s media industry is better known for its holodramas in polite society, and I suspect his kin network would be less than pleased with his true choice of occupation. Our legal dispute with him has already made galactic news. If Mr. Kikso has not heard from his relatives already, I suspect he will in the near future.”

Small comforts. Faro glanced over her shoulder in the direction Rayau had departed from. “I suppose so, sir. Did you want us to be present for the conclusion of Ms. Jennings’ trial, or are we ready to return to the Chimaera?”

Thrawn shook his head. “I believe we’ve seen enough of Corulag for the time being. We have military matters to attend to.” His lips quirked at the end of his last sentence. Thrawn internally weighed saying more before choosing to add, “and once our shifts are done for the day, we can… debrief on the situation privately. For all his trouble, Mr. Kikso has offered us one insight of potential value.”

Faro didn’t pick up on the implications of Thrawn’s comment right away. When she did, she had to fight off a laugh. She glanced about the courthouse hallway for cameras before offering him a playful smile. “I look forward to putting this incident to bed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided I did want to write the sex scene at the end, if only for its comedic potential. This chapter wasn't as comedic as I was planning for it to be. Originally it was, but then I decided it didn't feel appropriate.
> 
> Only one more chapter left in here, folks! If you're looking for something to read next, I recommend draculard's new post-Rebels fic if you haven't jumped on that yet. Signal Lost//Contact Regained gives me the worst sort of feels in the best way possible. Also, he updates with giant ass chapters every day, unlike me, so you don't wait that long for updates.
> 
> Well, it's been fun. I was planning to do homework instead of write this chapter for this morning, but we can't have everything. Hope you enjoyed!


	6. Imitation

Few things made Faro happier than getting back to business. She and Thrawn had returned to the  _ Chimaera  _ following their porn personas’ arrests, but too much of their time had been spent helping the Empire prepare for trial for it to feel like a return to normalcy. Now that the trials were over (Fallon Jennings faced two months for her role in the holovideo. No additional fine), the only thing Faro had left to look over from the weeklong debacle was ISB’s concluding report. The report was officially addressed to Colonel Yularen, who had been kind enough to forward the document to her.

On balance, the report was good news. There still existed murmurings in anonymous chat rooms that the holovideo was genuine and Rayau and Fallon had been chosen as scapegoats to protect a powerful grand admiral from public consequences. Such conspiracy theorists took news of Faro’s future transfer out of context to say High Command was responding to the holovid by quietly breaking them up. Never mind that Faro had been pending transfer since before the first hookup. Some people were committed to their misunderstandings.

Other than that minor annoyance, everything seemed to be in order. With the most unique scandal of her military career behind her, she could return to the headspace she was in a week ago. Happy about her new relationship with Thrawn and anxiously awaiting her own task force to command. Whatever this mess had done to her transfer, she was sure she would see the other side to these constant delays. 

In the meantime, she had precious little time left with a crew she’d come to hold dear. Woldar and Hammerly had already congratulated her on the trials’ verdicts. A few of the ensigns from before had apologized for their comments, including Ensign Patel. Most importantly, she had a nighttime “debriefing” planned for her in Thrawn’s quarters. She hadn’t had a chance to see him off-shift in over a week. If Thrawn’s comments were any indication, he had an idea for how to put this pesky annoyance behind them once and for all.

Faro hummed, then paused. All this time dealing with the holovid, and it just now occurred to her that she’d never watched it all the way through. How exactly had sex occurred in that porn scene? Thrawn had insisted it wasn’t anything too outlandish, right? Hadn’t he said that once?

It was probably nothing to worry about. Faro exited out of Yularen’s message and spent the last hours of her shift on actual military business. She did her best not to get too absorbed into her work though, lest she miss the moment on her chrono when she was no longer needed in her office.

Time could not come soon enough. No sooner had Faro clocked out for the night than she found Thrawn closing up himself. He acknowledged her as she approached, “Commodore.”

“Grand Admiral, sir. Forgive me for catching you off shift, but you mentioned on Corulag you wished to debrief this evening. Would it be alright if we did so now?”

“Certainly, Commodore. Walk with me.”

Faro followed Thrawn’s lead back to his quarters. She maintained a professional ambivalence on the outside in case they passed any observers. They may have to remain cautious for a time still to allow gossip about them to die down. Just as Faro thought that, she internally slumped. If all went as she expected it to, they didn’t have that sort of time. By the time whispers died down, Faro would be on another ship, neck deep into a new mission entirely. Their chance to sneak off together at night would be over.

Perhaps Thrawn knew that. Maybe that’s why he’d propositioned her once again after weeks of barely touching her. They had to take these opportunities while they still had them, gossip be damned… to a degree, naturally.

She wasn’t sure what to expect when they arrived. Thrawn stopped close to the entrance at first, but gestured for her to follow him to his bedchamber once the doors were closed. Faro did as he directed until she was standing at the side edge. Should she sit down or…?

No. Thrawn approached her with a purpose, bending down so he could catch her on the lips. His hand held her chin at first, sliding down towards her neck and collar as Faro got more invested in the kiss. Would that she could end all her missions this way.

Faro broke away first, pulling her face a few centimeters back so that she could catch her breath. She dove back in at an angle the second time, catching Thrawn on the corner of his mouth. To hide the fact that such a place wasn’t her intended target, she used it as a launching point for a trail of smaller kisses across his jawline, hands caressing his sides as she did so. His uniform did absolutely nothing to obscure the shape of his figure beneath. Faro felt the tightness of muscle through his clothes, her fingers admiring the taut shapes through the fabric.

She managed to catch his lips full on the third time, but just as she was getting in the zone, Thrawn used a hand to grab both of hers and flipped her around. Faro tried to kiss him over her shoulder but couldn’t quite reach his face. She struggled at first, but relaxed when she remembered she’d seen this part in the holovid. “You really want to try it ourselves, huh?”

His exhale tickled her ear. “I do. Is this acceptable to you, Karyn?”

Faro leaned back into him at the sound of her given name, head resting on Thrawn’s left shoulder. “We can try. Let me know what I can do.”

“Excellent.” He brushed a strand of hair off her forehead, then continued his work on her uniform tunic. “Relax for the moment.”

Faro tried her best, but she didn’t like the restrictions this position placed on her movement. She shifted forward to help her tunic, shirt, and bra come off and rolled her head to give Thrawn better access to her exposed skin, but found herself frustrated with the fact he was still fully clothed. She wanted to reciprocate his actions. Now that she was naked from the waist up, the edges of Thrawn’s rank plaque dug into her skin.

Faro struggled with how to put her dissatisfaction into words, settling (perhaps unwisely) on, “I didn’t give Ms. Jennings enough credit for her skills as an actress.”

Thrawn pulled back as soon as she said that. “This is not pleasurable for you?”

“No. Are you enjoying it?”

“I was.” He stepped back, allowing Faro to turn and face him. “What about this setup do you find lacking?”

Faro blinked, noticing for the first time a trace of concern in his voice. “I want to be able to touch you. As well, I mean. I want to remove your uniform with my hands, the way you did me.”

Thrawn tilted his head. “But that is what I like about this arrangement. By holding you as I do, I can touch you as I wish without worrying about what you will try on me.”

Worrying? That wasn’t a word Thrawn used often. Faro sat down on the bed, eyes shining with concerns of her own. “What do you have to be worried about?”

He didn’t answer right away. “I... worry you will catch me by surprise and that it will cause me to respond defensively. I worry you will attempt to sit or lay on top of me while I am pinned to the bed. Sexual intimacy already requires a great deal of vulnerability. I do not wish to experience any more than necessary.”

He intended to hold her at arm’s length now? That hadn’t happened the first time. Of course, neither of them had planned for the first time to happen. It simply had, powered by a swell of emotions and the stress of an unexpected murder attempt.

Faro did her best to show understanding. She knew it had been a long time since his last sexual encounter. If she’d understood Thrawn correctly, she was his first since joining the Empire. “Of course sex makes us both vulnerable. I don’t mind being vulnerable with you in private, Thrawn. What I don’t like is not being able to express myself here. If you keep me in a bind for our entire time together, haven’t you already responded defensively?”

Thrawn averted his eyes, the glow inside them flickering ever so slightly. “...I  _ do _ trust you, Karyn. On certain matters, you are the only one in which I confide.”

Faro stood back up, closing the distance between them at a nonthreatening pace. She pressed her bare chest onto his covered one. Aside from the cool metal of his plaque, the whole of his torso was flushed with heat. Whether from arousal or embarrassment, she couldn’t tell. 

She moved her hands slowly up to the plaque, letting Thrawn observe her every move. If he wanted to interrupt her motions, he could. “I feel the same about you. I want you to be comfortable, but I also want us to be on the same footing in the bedroom.” His plaque came undone as she finished her last sentence. Faro laid it on a side table before continuing. “Forget how strangers imagined sex between us. Let’s enjoy our time together in our own way.”

“What way is that?”

Faro looked at him to smile. Just as she noted Thrawn seemed to have relaxed, her grin turned mischievous. “Let’s find out.”

She lifted his tunic and undershirt as one, pulling both up in a bunch at Thrawn’s armpits. She didn’t pull either over his head, though, waiting instead for him to take that leap. Once he did, Faro’s hands shifted to his now-bare chest. She’d expected the warmth of his skin beneath her fingers, but not the extensive network of scar tissue.

“What is this from?” she asked, fingers tracing lightly over the web of whitish blue that stretched all the way down to Thrawn’s abdomen.

Thrawn’s eyes followed her fingers’ path, hyper aware of her proximity to his old wounds. “Blaster shots. I received them as a young soldier at a time before the Empire existed.”

Blaster shot _ s _ ? As in, more than one? What kind of super soldier survived that? How good was Chiss Ascendancy armor? Faro had all these questions and more, but hesitated to ask Thrawn anything else. She had no idea how many of her curiosities he was willing to satisfy at this time. More importantly, she had other uses for her mouth at this point.

Faro kissed the top of the scar in a spot justt below Thrawn’s collar bone. Her palms stayed pressed onto his torso, sliding down in coordination with her mouth as she covered the whole area in soft kisses. As she reached the bottom of the giant white gash, Faro began to massage his stomach and sides once more, never using much pressure. She repeated these motions until she felt the tension leave Thrawn’s body. When she paused to look up into Thrawn’s eyes, she noted that he was still tracking her every move, if calmer than before. A glance in the opposite direction told her everything she needed to know about his enjoyment of their time together.

She slipped two fingers between his belt and his pants. Pulling on the belt just enough for him to notice, she asked if she may remove it. Thrawn responded by tracing over her own belt buckle. When he threw her belt to the ground in a fluid motion, she elected to respond in kind. 

That was the start of a stripping frenzy, with each article of clothing falling faster than the last. When the time came for the removal of trousers, Faro let Thrawn push her back onto the bed. She lay across the mattress sideways on her back. Thrawn loomed above her, his concentration centered entirely on the button holding her pants together. Faro had an easier time from her vantage point, pulling those white pants down to his ankles by the time her fly was even open. She arched her back to make his final task easier, starting when he dropped her pants and underwear as one. Faro caught the edge of his boxers in retaliation, thereby ensuring both were made naked at the same time.

Thrawn stepped out of the pool of garments at his feet, using the distance to get a better look at Faro. Her legs hung off the side of his bed, her small, pointed breasts rising and falling with each breath she took. He examined her the way he would one of his precious art pieces, deciding faster than usual that he liked his new acquisition. 

The room had been dark the last time they’d done this. Faro found she rather liked leaving the lights on this time around. Her eyes landed on his purpling member, thighs twitching when she remembered how it had felt to have him buried deep inside her. Just the memory was enough to drive her legs apart. 

Thrawn watched her adjust with great interest. When he approached her once more, he helped her onto her side, lifting by her thighs so that her entire body rested on his bed. When she rolled back onto her back, his grip on her was slow to release. He shuffled back and forth at the foot of the bed, unsure of what to do next. “I have expressed my own objections to having you positioned above me in bed. Do you mind when I am on top of you?”

Faro shook her head. “I want to face you. I want to be able to touch you back.” She sat up for a quick peck on the lips. “Other than that, I can lay however you want me to.”

She returned to her previous position, head resting on Thrawn’s pillow. Thrawn climbed over her, careful not to put all his weight on her. He returned her kiss with a deeper one, letting her cup his face as he did. He probed her mouth until he’d run out of breath, then shifted efforts to her neck. Only once he reached the spots her uniform would cover did he start nipping at her flesh. Faro moaned, grateful for both the sensation and the consideration.

Once it was his turn to pepper her chest with kisses, Faro let her legs slide open once more. She let her foot brush against Thrawn as she slid it beneath and around him. That way, he knew she was ready for more. Faro did what she could to help him figure out the best penetration angle, but that was something he needed to have the final decision on. Once Thrawn settled into his place above her (all while still enjoying the stiff peaks of her nipples), Faro latched her thighs onto his hips, bracing herself for what was to come.

As before, his first thrust was gentle and likely experimental. Thrawn shifted the first few times, never putting more than the tip inside her. Once he had a good sense of where everything was, he slid into her as far as Faro would accommodate him. His pace stayed languid at this stage, giving Faro the chance to get used to him. 

The first time he’d entered her, Faro had come to the conclusion his Chiss penis was wider than a human one. It had been a couple years, yes, but she stood by her thought that she had never quite been stretched the way she was now. Now that she had visual confirmation of Thrawn’s length in addition to his girth, she knew she could definitely get used to this feeling.

Just as that thought entered her mind, Thrawn increased his pace. Faro was slick enough to handle it by this point. Tiny moans broke through her lips every time he went back in, making it difficult for her to hold onto even a single thought or breath. Her hands moved on their own accord over his waist, wishing they could grab at his ass. Alas, her knees were largely in the way.

Whatever set Faro apart from a Chiss woman, the presence of a g-spot must not be it. Part of Thrawn’s earlier shuffling had been his search for the best way to hit it, and now that he was fucking her relentlessly, it was obvious he’d found his target. 

Her legs tightened around his narrow hips, doing everything in their power to prevent him from pulling away. Unbidden, her lips moved on from moans to guttural reeditions of Thrawn’s name. She may have attempted his full name a few times as well, because Thrawn shushed her with a chuckle soon after. 

He intoned her name the way she was attempting to pronounce his, his accent thicker than she’d ever heard it before. “Ka’rynfa’ro.”

Right as that sound left his lips, Thrawn’s aim struck true. He found the exact place that turned Faro’s vision white and, with a few critical hits, sent her reeling. She held onto him for dear life, nails digging into his back as she came.

The sensation went on forever. Wave after wave of intense pleasure ran over Faro, radiating from her clit to her head to her toes and leaving every part of her weak. She felt her walls tightening around Thrawn’s member, egging him on to join her in this feeling.

He was approaching fast. Just as Karyn felt the intensity of her orgasm fading, she heard him grunt as his hot release shot into her. She used the last of her strength to hold his hips in place once more, doing her utmost to make sure not a single drop of cum landed outside her body.

Imperial-subsidized sterilization. Best decision Faro had ever made. Shame she had to hide the procedure from her home planet, but it was useful in times like these.

Faro listened for Thrawn’s sigh. Once she was sure he was finished, she unlatched herself from his hips and allowed Thrawn to collapse beside her. She found it gratifying to hear him panting as well. 

Neither one spoke for a time. Faro knew she ought to clean herself off, but it felt so nice to lay peacefully beside the man she’d admired for so long. She turned her head to give him one more peck on the cheek.

Thrawn groaned softly upon receiving it. “You aren’t already interested in more, are you? At least give me time to regain strength.”

“Not tonight, no.” Faro hummed with contentment, resting a hand on Thrawn’s heart. When he responded favorably to that, she turned onto her side so that she could cuddle up next to him. She always felt so cold after sex, and Thrawn’s warmth was forever enticing to her. “I could lay here all night, just resting with you.”

“You may do so, if you wish,” he granted, wrapping an arm around her. “You know the appropriate procedure.”

She did, but would it really be appropriate? Could she really spend the night in her commander’s bed the day after proving to the galaxy she hadn’t slept with him? That certainly didn’t seem like a smart idea.

Faro broke out of Thrawn’s hold, stumbling about for a chrono. Once she saw the time, she settled back into bed, comforting herself with the knowledge that it wasn’t that late into the evening. After a minute, she noticed Thrawn watching her, waiting for a response.

“I’ll stay a little while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It occurs to me that both my Thraro multichaps end the same way: our Imperial couple sends their antagonist off to face legal consequences and celebrates their victory with sex. This time, unlike before, I did write the sex scene.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed this. I have once again procrastinated in favor of updating this fic. See you all later!


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